


5 Cleansing Breaths

by ladygray99



Category: White Collar
Genre: Cross-Posted on Tumblr, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-13
Updated: 2011-02-13
Packaged: 2017-10-15 15:23:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/162207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladygray99/pseuds/ladygray99
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neal loved everything about Kate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	5 Cleansing Breaths

  
There was nothing about Kate Neal didn't love and he would swear that too his grave. Of course Kate would be the first to point out that Neal sold lies for a living. The truth was she had a handful of habits Neal didn't love and even a couple that drove him nuts. She always wore a little too much perfume, and whistled through her teeth while cooking, and for some reason she brushed her teeth while in the shower. She also loved self help books. She'd get them on tape and listen to them instead of music.

This wouldn't have bothered Neal except she got tapes for problems she didn't have. She'd often listen to the one on how to quite smoking even though she'd never smoked a day in her life. She had one on how to lose weight through internal visualization. Neal was always trying to 'accidentally' misplace that one.

Then one day Kate acquired a set of tapes on anger management.

"You're the least angry person I know." Neal had pointed out immediately.

"And I'd like to stay that way." She'd stated plainly.

She'd played it that night before bed while Neal tried to create an 'undiscovered' da Vinci sketch.

 _'Take five deep long breaths,_ ' the man on the tape advised. _With each breath let your anger build. Acknowledge it for what it is. As you slowly let out your fifth breath let your anger flow out with it leaving yourself empty of anger and ready to be filled with peace._

Neal got to four breaths then snapped his tiny brush and decided to take a walk in the rain.

It was raining again when they buried Kate. Not that there was much too bury. The coffin, paid for by Mozzie, held less than two pounds of charred bits.

Neal hadn't been allowed to wear black. It was enough of an ask getting out for the funeral. He watched what was left of his love go into the ground dressed in prison orange while four marshals aimed high powered rifles at him waiting for him to run.

Neal didn't feel like running. Instead he just breathed. When he heard the first clump of earth hit the coffin he started counting his breaths letting the anger fill him. With each breath he let the anger grown and acknowledged it for what it was. The fifth breath he pulled very slowly through his teeth. He pulled it in letting the anger build just like the man said. He pulled the breath in and held it.


End file.
